1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical examination tables, and more particularly to an adapter assembly which is mountable to an angiographic medical examination table or the like and which then permits the attachment of stirrups thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the prior art, certain medical examinations require that a patient be in a prone position with the patient's feet located in stirrups so as to position the legs in a bent or somewhat raised position. These stirrup assemblies are normally found on special medical examination tables which are designed specifically for the use of patient gynecological or rectal examinations. These specially designed tables normally have the stirrups adjustably mounted to slidable bars which are extensible from the tables.
Typical examples of gynecological or rectal medical examination tables wherein stirrup assemblies are slidably attached thereto are to be found in U.S. Pats. Nos. 3,944,205, which issued to F. Mueller on Mar. 16, 1976, and 4,046,365, which issued to S. Dungan on Sept. 6, 1977. As can be appreciated, medical professionals who only occasionally perform gynecological or rectal examinations on their patients frequently do not have access to the above-described medical examination tables which have stirrup assemblies attached thereto. As such, there appears to be a need for some means of attaching the stirrups to conventional medical examination tables which are not normally used in gynecological or rectal examinations, and in this respect, the present invention substantially addresses this need.